How To Get Water Out of Your Ear: A Guide for Seniors

Old man with ear pain.

The ear is a very complex and vulnerable organ. If the ear gets congested, you'll know it right away. It impacts the world around you and never truly disappears completely. Ear infections are quite common in older adults. Based on the underlying blockage, ear infections can be quite bothersome, uncomfortable, and irritating for older adults. Therefore, it is usually recommended that you treat clogged ears as quickly as possible. But where or how to begin? What methods should you employ? How can you get your ear unclogged as fast as possible without causing severe harm? Any contact with water can result in the ear canal becoming blocked. If this happens, symptoms may include a tickling sensation in the ears. This sensation may spread to the jaws or throat. In addition, the hearing may be affected as well. Bacteria that exist in your ear canal all of the time can grow and create an ear infection if the water stays in it. The condition can also be caused by wearing earbuds for an extended period because it keeps the sweat trapped inside the ears. Swimming can also cause the water to enter the ear, causing Otitis Externa or swimmer’s ear. Many people, especially older adults, always try to dry and unclog their ears while doing DIY techniques and tips. However, the ear has a delicate structure, and one should be careful because doing it wrong can result in a ruptured eardrum which may lead to hearing loss.

Clogged Ear Symptoms

The most important indicator of an obstructed or filled-up ear is ear pain and difficulty in hearing. However, numerous linked adverse effects might cause a variety of symptoms. Earaches, itching, disorientation, tinnitus, the ear feeling full, bursting feeling in your ears and sinuses, muted sounds, slight hearing loss, and even vertigo (the sensation of whirling while standing still), are some of the symptoms. You may also experience congestion, acute or intense ear pain, fluid flowing from the ear, a runny nose, hoarseness, shortness of breath, sneezing, temperature, and redness whether a person has an ear infection or sinusitis. Trapped water content in your ear (after swimming or even showering) can cause obstructed or clogged ears and physical injury to the eardrum. Hence, it is important to keep an eye out for symptoms, particularly in older adults. Elderly with ear pain.

Causes Of a Clogged Ear

So why do a person's ears become blocked and stuffy? Excess earwax, sinus pressure, ear infections, fluid in the ear, and noise damage are common reasons. Airplane ear and swimmer's ear are two other conditions (otitis externa). Amongst the most prevalent reasons for plugged ears is earwax buildup. It's crucial to recognize that everyone produces different amounts of earwax. Therefore, there's no such thing as a standard volume. Utilizing a cotton swab to clear earwax, on the other hand, may only make matters worse. It forces earwax more profound into the eardrum, where it accumulates and solidifies. Wearing earplugs, earphones, and hearing aids can also increase the wax buildup. Similarly, these devices force the wax deeper into the ear while preventing it from gradually coming out. The eustachian tube links the ear to the throat and is another typical source of blocked ears. These tubes are barely millimeters broad and roughly an inch and a half long. They circulate fresh air into the inner ear, maintain internal equilibrium, and drain fluid and debris from the middle ear into the back of the throat. The tubes open when you chew, yawn, or swallow. Specific allergies, a cold, or throat infection can shut these tubes. When these tubes are filled with fluid build-up, they generate a negative pressure that leads to ear pain, referred to as barotrauma. People get the same sensation while scuba diving, flying in an airplane, trekking, or hiking in the mountains. Fluid accumulates in the eustachian tube and can cause ear infections. Adult ears are often clogged for a week or two by these middle ear infections, exacerbated by allergies, smoking, and excessive secretion of mucus. Children are more vulnerable to these diseases, but they recuperate faster. Inner ear infections are more dangerous and stay longer. If the ears feel clogged, but there is no pain in the ears, a person might likely have excess wax build-up. It is critical to recognize earwax is not a harmful thing. It occurs naturally, has antimicrobial capabilities, and shields the ears from dust, water, bacteria, fungi, pollen, and other contaminants. It also hydrates the ear and drives dry cells to the outer ear, where it naturally falls out in a self-cleaning mechanism. However, extra earwax can accumulate, causing a slew of linked disorders. It can impair hearing, induce earaches, and cause ear infections. It could be caused by short ear canals, inner ear growths, or ears with excessive hair. Some people have naturally more rigid, drier earwax. Seniors and the aged are highly susceptible, earwax tends to have a dry form as you age.

How To Get Water Out Of Your Ear?

Older adults might get water inside their ears while they take a shower or go for a swim. Use these methods to get water out of your ears after swimming or bathing.

Close up of an ear.

Shake The Earlobe

The first step may immediately push the water out of the ear. Next, gently wiggle the earlobes while tilting the head down towards the shoulder. While in this position, one can also try tossing the head from right to left side.

Let Gravity Help

Gravity should assist in draining the water from the ear with this strategy. Lie on the affected ear side with the head on a cloth to soak up for a few moments. The water may gradually drain from the ear.

Generate A Vacuum

This procedure generates a vacuum, which may suck the water out. Turn the head sideways and press the ear into a cupped palm to form a barrier. Push the palm back and forth quickly toward the ear, straightening the palm you press and cupping it as you move away. Let the water flow out by tilting the head down.

Use A Blow Dryer

The warmth from a hairdryer can help remove water from the ear canal. Set the hairdryer to the warmest, lowest setting. Hold the blow dryer approximately a foot away from the ear and push it back and forward. Allow warm air to enter the eardrum.

Try Rubbing Alcohol And Vinegar Eardrops

Alcohol will aid in the evaporation of water in the ear. It also serves to block bacterial growth, which can aid in preventing ear infections. In addition, if the entrapped water is caused by ear wax build-up, the vinegar ear drops may help eradicate it. However, it is important to consult your doctor before trying out any of these methods. To create eardrops, use equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Administer three or four droplets of this solution into the ear with a sanitized pipette. Massage the outside of the ear gently. Allow 30 seconds before tilting the head laterally to enable the solution to outflow. Do not use this method if you have an ear infection or a perforated eardrum.

Opt For Olive Oil

Olive oil has shown results in preventing an array of infections due to its anti-microbial properties. For this purpose, warm a small amount of olive oil in a small bowl. To assess the sensitivity, apply a few drops to the inner wrist. Next, put a few drops of the oil into the afflicted ear with a clean pipette. For almost 10 minutes, lie on the unaffected side, sit up and lean your ear downward. Both the water and the oil should escape out from the ear. Olive oil in a glass bowl.

More Water Can Drain Existing Water

This method may appear odd, but it can assist remove water from the ear. Using a sterile pipette, fill the infected ear with some water while lying on the unaffected side. Wait 5 seconds before turning over with the clogged ear down. The water should release completely. Again, it is important that you consult your doctor before trying anything new that might not suit you.

Try Over-The-Counter Medications

An over-the-counter pain killer can assist if a person is experiencing discomfort due to a plugged ear. Decongestants are also beneficial in that case because they minimize inflammation in the mucous membranes. This inflammation puts pressure on your brain. If a person has had previous ear issues, ear surgeries, or perforated eardrums, bypass the pharmacy (and all of the preceding steps) and visit a doctor. There are many self-cleaning eardrops available at pharmacies. These drops break the hard ear wax making it fall out of the ear. However, these drops might not suit everyone because they can irritate the eardrum. Ear drops are ineffective for persons who have excessive earwax build-up. It is because ear drops do not entirely break down the wax, resulting in more significant blockages of earwax that are more difficult to extract. On the other hand, eardrops can be highly beneficial for tiny amounts of earwax. Many varieties are offered, using almond oil, olive oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, sodium bicarbonate, and hydrogen peroxide. Most of these oils have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. These ear drops are often used multiple times per day. Try to lie on the side and prepare a tissue. Administer the drops as suggested and leave them to sit for the specified time. Once you sit up, the droplets will carry some debris with them. A hand grabbing OTC medication from a shelf.

How To Remove Water From The Middle Ear?

Based on the origin of your middle ear infection, OTC decongestant or antihistamine medication may be beneficial. Stick to the directions on the package. Here are some additional solutions to consider.

Yawn Or Chew

When water becomes clogged in the eustachian tubes, moving your jaw in different directions might sometimes assist in opening them. To relax and open your eustachian tubes, yawn or chew bubble gum. Yawning stretches the Eustachian tubes effectively because it stretches the inner ear and throat, leading to relaxing eustachian tubes. A person might hear a popping sound while doing the activity, which means the tubes are open and relaxed. Woman yawning

The Valsalva Maneuver

This maneuver is a creative way of saying, "pop your ears." Plug the nose, inhale deeply through the mouth, seal the lips, inflate the cheeks, and slowly breathe through the nose. The pressure exerted aids in the removal of fluid in the middle ear. This approach is convenient when flying.

Steam

Warm steaming can aid in the outflow of water from the middle ear via the eustachian tubes. Take a hot shower or create a tiny sauna with a bowl of hot water. Fill a big basin halfway with boiling water. Put a towel on the head and place the face over the bowl to keep the steam in. Breathe through the steam for 5 to 10 minutes, then tilt the head to the side to allow the moisture to dry up the ear.

Don'ts For Getting Water Out Of The Ears

Using the incorrect techniques to bring water out of the ears can cause scratches or influence earwax in the canal. In addition, if people employ these ways to clean up their ears, they will be more likely to have ear infections. Cotton swabs should be avoided. They can clog your ear canal with earwax and debris, eliminate the moisture that protects your ear, upset the normal flora of bacteria in the ear canal, or inflame its thin skin. Sticking fingers or fingernails in the ears is not a good idea. This is because the sensitive skin of the outer ear canal can be scratched. If an adult person or a child has ear tubes or an eardrum that has ruptured, do not utilize hydrogen peroxide or drying drops.

How To Spot An Infection?

Because the ears occasionally secrete cerumen (earwax), a waxy, moisture repellent material, some of the time, water will slowly drip out on its own. If it does not, bacteria can proliferate and trigger ear infections. In addition, a warm – humid environment, scars or lacerations inside the ear canal, and sensitivities from allergies and skin problems are all conducive to bacterial growth. Symptoms of an ear infection include an itchy inside of the ear, redness in the ear, mild discomfort when the earlobe is pulled, and clear, odorless fluid coming out of the ear.

Tips To Keep Water Out Of The Ear

A great defense is sometimes the best weapon. Try these strategies to prevent moisture from accumulating in the ears in the first place. Consider removing the earbuds when the ears feel sweaty. You can also put cotton balls in the ears when using a hair dye. Wear a swim cap and earplugs while going in the water. You can also apply petroleum jelly to a cotton ball during a bath and insert it into the outer ears. If a person believes they have a wax build-up problem, they should have their earwax removed by a doctor. Yes, it shields the ears, but too much might cause water to accumulate in the canal. Ear irrigation may be beneficial. Always consult your doctor. Never try to extract it yourself.

When To See A Doctor?

Although children are more susceptible to getting ear infections, it's also quite common in older adults. Ear infections that happen in young children are often minor and may clear up quickly. However, infections in older adults are usually a sign of some serious health issues. If an elderly in your family has an ear infection, or gets them frequently, keep an eye on the symptoms to know when you should see a doctor. People who smoke or are passive smokers are usually the ones more prone to getting an ear infection. Additionally, if a person has year-round or seasonal allergies, they are also more likely to develop an ear infection. Medical professionals often treat clogged ears, including general practitioners, audiologists, and ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialists. They can effectively provide a distinct perspective and the means to inspect your ears more thoroughly. If a person has a mucus build-up, fever, ear discharge, dizziness, or ringing in their ears, they should seek medical attention immediately. Physical wax removal may be required whenever a person's ears are frequently clogged with cerumen. Earwax that has become trapped is usually removed with specialized equipment. Some produce suction. A thin tool with a circle on the end might be used to remove earwax. Ear irrigation is another easy method in which an electric pump flushes the debris out. It's critical to note that healthcare professionals not only help to relieve and remove blocked ears but also aid in rehabilitation. For example, if a person has an infection in the ear (or sinuses) that is interfering with their hearing, they may need prescription medications. In general, a medical professional will examine your symptoms, examine your ears, and conduct certain hearing tests. These preliminary tests will also be beneficial if you need medical attention for your hearing in the future. Elderly woman with her doctor.

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